Supply Of Flu Vaccinations Listed In Serious Condition

December 05, 2000|By Ginger Orr, Tribune Staff Writer.

With the last of the flu vaccinations shipments expected to arrive this month and the continued high demand for the shots, some public health clinics are saying they may not have enough to serve the general population.

Many physician offices have been slow to get the vaccine, leaving county or non-profit public clinics, who have offered the flu shots sporadically during the last month as more shipments continue to flow in, inundated with inquiries.

"There has been an overwhelming response," said Amy Baudouin, flu shot coordinator for the Visiting Nurses Association of Fox Valley, an Aurora-based non-profit organization that has scheduled about 150 clinics throughout Kane, Kendall and McHenry Counties during November and December. "Their doctors' offices don't have it, so it forces them to look for another provider."

More than 560 people lined up to receive the vaccination last month for Visiting Nurses first clinic at the Charlestowne Mall in St. Charles. Last year, only 200 people received flu shots at the clinic, Baudouin said.

Because of the shipment delays from vaccine manufacturers, clinics made the elderly and chronically ill the top priorities. But many of the providers have had to postpone or cancel flu shot clinics even for this high-risk population when the first round of the vaccinations was depleted.

The DuPage County Health Department used its first shipment of 7,000 doses by Nov. 8 and had to cancel a handful of scheduled clinics until its second batch of 5,000 vaccines arrived a week later, said Nancy Gier, spokeswoman for the Health Department. The county is accepting appointments from only the high-risk population for its remaining clinics, which will conclude Dec. 18.

"If there is any vaccine available after the final clinic, we will open it up to the general public," Gier said.

The Visiting Nurses Association expects to get its final shipment of doses next week and has received inquiries from people as far away as Wisconsin and Iowa about vaccine availability, Baudouin said.

Despite the delays, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that about 75 million doses of the flu vaccine will be available this year, which is comparable to the amount distributed last year.

"Doctors' offices and those waiting are supposed to have shipments available in December," Baudouin said. "Those who are not high risk should be able to get a vaccine then."

Experts say the delay in receiving the flu shot until mid or late December should still protect most people from illness.

The Illinois Department of Public Health has had no reports of flu cases in the state this year.